In today's global nature of the automotive industry and the diversity and complexity of modern car construction, it is important for car manufacturers to be able to onboard various suppliers, no matter where they are seated around the World. Many car manufacturers have established a spread manufacturing presence in Eastern Europe, Brazil and China, for example. Furthermore, there are typically numerous, highly specialized third party suppliers delivering parts for the assembly of the complete car. OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) denotes the original producer of such a vehicle's component, so OEM car parts are identical to the parts used in the original producing and assembling a vehicle. OEM parts are usually guaranteed by the automaker to be compatible with the vehicle. In contrast to OEM parts aftermarket parts may or may not be compatible, and a broad range of companies may produce aftermarket parts for a certain product. In automotive engineering, automotive design and automobile layout describes, how the car is to be assembled, e.g. where on the vehicle the engine and drive wheels are found, what kind of driving aids are included, as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and/or corresponding safe Human-Machine Interface to help the driver in the driving process or increase car safety and more generally road safety. Factors influencing the design and assembly layout choice include cost, complexity, reliability, packaging (location and size of the passenger compartment and boot), weight distribution, and the vehicle's intended handling characteristics.
Modern automotive engineered car driving (including completely manually controlled driving, partially autonomous car driving, driverless car, self-driving car, robotic car) is associated with vehicles that are capable of sensing its environment and operational status or use. Such modern automotive engineered vehicles are capable of detecting a great variety of operational or surrounding parameters using e.g. radar, LIDAR (measuring device to measure distances by means of laser light), GPS (Global Positioning System), odometer (measuring device for measuring changings in position over time by means of using motion sensor data), and computer vision. In modern cars, advanced control systems often interpret sensory information to identify appropriate navigation paths, as well as obstacles and relevant signage. The sensors may comprise active and passive sensing devices, wherein sensors are physical converter devices measuring a physical quantity and converting the measured physical quantity it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by another instrument, circuit or system. Common used sensors for automotive motor vehicle or mobile cell phones are e.g. infrared sensors containing an infrared emitter, and an infrared detector, for example used with touchless switches, passive infrared (PIR) sensors reacting and detecting only on ambient IR as for example motion sensors, speed detectors as e.g. radar guns as microwave radars using the Doppler effect (the return echo from a moving object will be frequency shifted) or IR/Laser radars sending pulses of light for determining the difference in reflection time between consecutive pulses to determine speed, ultrasonic sensors emitting a sound and sensing for the echo to determine range, accelerometers measuring the rate of change of the capacitance and translating it into an acceleration by means of a proof mass, gyroscopes measuring a mass oscillating back and forth along the first axis, and plates on either side of the mass in the third direction where the capacitance changes when a rotation is detected around the second direction, IMU-sensors (Inertial Measurement Unit) providing a full 6-degree of freedom sensor by using a combination of accelerometer and gyroscope, force sensing resistor e.g. for contact sensing, touchscreens based on resistive, capacitive or surface acoustic wave sensing, location sensors as GPS (Global Positioning System), triangulation or cell identification systems, visual sensors as cameras and computer visions, SIM-based or RFID-based (Radio-Frequency Identification) sensors, or environment sensors as moisture sensors, humidity sensors, temperature sensors etc. Said vehicles' capabilities for sensing its environment and operational status or use, is e.g. used in the above-mentioned advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) which denotes systems developed to automate/adapt/enhance vehicle systems for safety and better driving. Safety features are designed to avoid collisions and accidents by offering technologies that alert the driver to potential problems, or to avoid collisions by implementing safeguards and taking over control of the vehicle. Adaptive features may automate lighting, provide adaptive cruise control, automate braking, incorporate GPS/traffic warnings, connect to smartphones, alert driver to other cars or dangers, keep the driver in the correct lane, or show what is in blind spots.
Different forms of ADAS exist in the prior art, wherein some of the features are built into cars or are available as an add-on package. Often, there are also aftermarket solutions provided by third party suppliers. ADAS relies on inputs from multiple data sources, including the above-described automotive imaging, LiDAR, radar, image processing, computer vision, and in-car networking. Further, also inputs are possible from other sources separate from the primary vehicle platform, such as other vehicles, referred to as Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), or Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (e.g. mobile telephony or Wi-Fi data network) systems. In the recent years, the ADAS technology are one of the fastest developing fields in automotive electronics, with increasing rates of adoption of industry-wide quality standards, in vehicular safety systems (cf. e.g. ISO 26262 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)) developing technology specific standards, such as IEEE 2020 for Image Sensor quality or communications protocols such as the Vehicle Information API (Application Programming Interface). ADAS is clearly pushing the development of wireless network connectivity to offer improved value by using car-to-car (also referred as Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V)) and car-to-infrastructure (also referred as Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2X)) data.
The above outlined development of device and user monitoring, typically referred as telematics, strongly influenced and still influencing the electronic, telecommunication added value services and risk-transfer (insurance) industry developing similar or consistent technical strategies to improve the effectiveness of interactions and the immediacy (real-time) interaction with customers. The needed components are today increasingly pure technology components. Social networking, telematics, service-oriented architectures (SCA) and usage-based services (UBS) are all in interacting and pushing this development. Social platforms, as e.g. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, offer the ability to improve customer interactions and communicate product information. However, the field of telematics is larger still, as it introduces entirely new possibilities that align the technical input requirements and problem specifications of dynamic risk-transfer, technology and mobility. SOA and telematics is becoming key to managing the complexity of integrating known technologies and new applications. Technically, telematics being a composite of telecommunication and information technology, is an interdisciplinary technical term encompassing telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc.), and information technology (multimedia, Internet, etc.). Thus, the technical field of mobile parameters sensing, data aggregation or telematics are affected by a wide range of technologies as the technology of sending, receiving and storing information via telecommunication devices in conjunction with affecting control on remote objects, the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics for application in vehicles and e.g. with control of vehicles on the move, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) technology integrated with computers and mobile communications technology in automotive navigation systems. The use of such technology together with road vehicles is also called vehicle telematics. In particular, telematics triggers the integration of mobile communications, vehicle monitoring systems and location technology by allowing a new way of capturing and monitoring real-time data. Usage-based risk-transfer systems, as e.g. provided by the so called Snapshot technology of the firm Progressive, link risk-transfer compensation or premiums to monitored driving behavior and usage information gathered by an in-car “telematics” device. In the past five years, telematics devices show expanded use by a factor 10 to 100 in cars. On such a broadened platform, telematics devices and systems may help to increase safety and improve driving behavior.
Vehicle telematics refers to installing or embedding telecommunications devices mostly in mobile units, as e.g. cars or other vehicles, to transmit real-time driving data, which for example can be used by third parties' system, as automated risk-monitoring and risk-transfer systems, providing the needed input e.g. to measure the quality and risks of individual drivers. The telematics instruments for such changes are available in the market. Vehicle tracking and global positioning satellite system (GPS) technologies are becoming commonplace, as are the telecommunications devices that allow us to be connected from almost anywhere. In particular, dynamically monitored and adapted risk-transfer could be imaginable by interconnecting telematics with other real-time measuring systems. There are various satellite navigation systems for vehicle tracking with local or global coverage, which are termed global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Examples are NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) (United States), GLONASS (Russian), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (China), Galileo (European Union), and the GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) (India), which enhances the accuracy of NAVSTAR GPS and GLONASS positions or the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) (Japan), which is a three-satellite regional time transfer system and enhancement for GPS. Advantages provided by such systems could e.g. comprise, that after getting involved into a car accident, emergency and road services could be automatically activated, vehicle damage assessed, and the nearest repair shop contacted. In summary, the customer experience could be transformed beyond traditional operatablility of risk-transfer systems and insurance coverage to real-time navigation and monitoring, including the automated activation of concierge service, safe driving tips, video-on-demand for the kids in the backseat, in-car or online feedback, and real-time vehicle diagnostics.
In addition to real-time surveillance, it is to be mentioned, that an insurance agent may want to exchange information with a customer associated with insurer for a number of different reasons. However, the information exchange between the customer and the insurer and/or the insurer and the reinsurer mostly is still cumbersome and time-consuming, and thus, risk-transfers provided by such structures typically remain static within a fixed time period agreed upon. For example, an existing or potential consumer may access an insurance agent's web page to determine a yearly or monthly cost of an insurance policy (e.g. hoping to save money or increase a level of protection by selecting a new insurance company). The consumer may provide basic information to the insurance agent (e.g. name, a type of business, date of birth, occupation, etc.), and the insurance agent may use this information to request a premium quote from the insurer. In some cases, the insurer will simply respond to the insurance agent with a premium quote. In other cases, however, an underwriter associated with insurer will ask the insurance agent to provide additional information so that an appropriate premium quote can be generated. For example, an underwriter might ask the insurance agent to indicate how often, where and to which time a motor vehicle is mainly used or other data as age of the motor vehicle and indented use (transportation etc.). Only after such additional information is determined, an appropriate risk analysis can be performed by the insurer to process adapted underwriting decision, and/or premium pricing.
Integrated telematics technologies may offer new technological fields, in particular in monitoring and steering by means of centralized expert systems, as e.g. in the risk-transfer technology far more accurate and profitable pricing models provided by such automated expert systems. This would create a huge advantage, in particular for real-time and/or usage-based and/or dynamically operated systems. The advantage of such telematics systems is not restricted to risk transfer rather as also advantages e.g. in fleets' management that monitor employees' driving behavior via telematics improving asset utilization, reduce fuel consumption and improve safety etc. etc. Other fields may also benefit from such integrated telematics systems, as state and local governments needs striving to improve fuel consumption, emissions and highway safety. Some states, for example, recently issued dynamic pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) regulations, which on the other side allows insurers to offer drivers insurance rates based on actual versus estimated miles driven. It's a financial incentive to drive less.
Already now, the telematics technology provides the above-mentioned features as an accelerometer allowing to assess drivers' style and behavior, thus expanding the risk factors normally tracked from the current 40 to more than 100. As demand for accelerometers has increased, auto-makers and device manufacturers have been able to push down the unit cost. The need for increased connectivity and access (driven by the “always-connected” consumer) will allow additional device applications. It is to be pointed out that most technologies in the telematics ecosystem are not unique to vehicle's insurance. Social listening, neighborhood protection portals and home monitoring have an impact on how home and property insurance risks are assessed. Further, monitoring systems are available to adjust home temperature controls or automatically dispatch service providers should there be a water, heat or air-conditioning issue in a home. Also, telematics technologies are being developed for healthcare and senior living products, including location-based alerts, health-monitoring, and family-tracking services that may be used for how individual risk is assessed, allowing optimized risk-transfer in the life risk-transfer field. Examples are also robotic nurse's aide designed to remind the elderly about routine activities, also guides them through their homes and calls for help in case of emergencies. These sorts of applications will continue to evolve as technology becomes more reliable and cost effective and as the need for such solutions increases in the elderly and home-care sectors.
Telematics technology, as used in the way of the present invention, may also provide the basis technology for Service-oriented architectures (SOAs) or usage-based and/or user-based applications. Both are considered among the most promising of today's technologies. SOAs allow companies to make their applications and computing resources (such as customer databases and supplier catalogs) available on an as-needed basis, either via an intranet or the Internet. Based on a plug-and-play concept, SOA provides reusable software components across multiple technology platforms. It offers a new approach to software deployment while also tackling serious problems, such as complexity and ineffective data integration. This approach provides a consistent technology making it easier to access data and to integrate both new and old content. Information and services are centralized and reusable, shortening development times and reducing maintenance costs. When a software service is needed (such as retrieving customer information) the user or system sends a request to a directory, which determines the proper service name, location and required format, and then sends back the desired output (in this case, customer information). Users and other applications do not need to know the internal workings of the data handling or processing. Nor do organizations need to own and maintain software; they just access the appropriate service over the Internet or network, or another data transmission network. However, telematics technology, as used in the way of the present invention, may also provide the basis technology for other platforms, as e.g. IoT-platforms (Internet of Things), which provide the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and/or other items embedded with electronics, software sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data. In particular, IoT allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, also allowing for a more direct integration of the physical world into processor-driven systems and computer means. This integration results in improved efficiency, accuracy and economic benefit. When IoT comprises sensors and actuators, the technology becomes a more general system-class of cyber-physical systems, which may encompass technologies as smart grids, smart homes, intelligent transportations, and smart cities. In IoT, each thing is uniquely identifiable through its embedded computer system, and is also able to interoperate with the existing Internet infrastructure. IoT provides advanced connectivity of devices, systems, and services that goes beyond machine-to-machine (M2M) communications and covers a variety of protocols, domains and applications. There are incorporated herein by reference. The interconnection of these embedded devices (including smart objects), is applicable in automation in nearly all fields, while also enabling advanced applications like a smart grid, and smart cities. Things in IoT refer to a wide variety of devices but in particular to automobiles with built-in sensors, analysis devices for environmental monitoring or field operation devices that can assist car drivers e.g. in search and rescue operations. Thus, things in IoT can comprise a mixture of hardware, software, data and/or service. Such devices collect useful data with the help of various existing technologies and then autonomously flow the data between other devices. Current examples include the numerous prototype autonomous or half-autonomous vehicles currently developed, including Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Continental Automotive Systems, IAV, Autoliv Inc., Bosch, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, Audi, Volvo, Tesla Motors, Peugeot, AKKA Technologies, Vislab from University of Parma, Oxford University and Google, for example, using interconnected telematics devices with appropriate network technology for control, monitoring, operating and steering of the half or fully automated vehicles.